Improvement in ditching-machines



A. M. lualyslm.A llitching-ll'ltachines.

Patented March 3,1874..

l [Meal-02:

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDItEVV M. 4NELSON, OF ILLAWARA, LOUISIANA.

lMPROVEMENT IN DITCHlNG-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 148,080, dated March 3,1874; application filed November 4, 1873.`

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW M. NELsoN, of Illawara, in the parish ofCarroll and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Ditchers; and do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon,making a part of this specification.

My ditcher is designed for building embankments, taking out cuts,digging ditches, and throwing up levees, or any other purpose for whichsuch a machine can be used; and consists in a ditching-wheel orexcavator, depending plows or cutters that loosen the earth upon eitherside, and a dirt remover or carrier that deposits the earth to one sideof the ditch, together with the mechanism for operating these severaldevices. The invention consists more particularly in an improvedconstruction and arrangement of the means for raising the dirt anddepositing it upon the movable apron, by which it is carried and dumpedupon the side of the bank, whereby the parts are made to work freely,and have sufficient elasticity to yield to large stones or otherobstructions; also, in the device for raising the ditching-wheel fromthe ground when going to or from the intended scene of operation, and,when at work, of lowering the same, so as to take a cut of any desireddepth, as hereinafter more fully described.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 is a plan view, of my entiremachine. Fig. 3 is a partly sectional view through the line Xof Fig. 2,showing the shape of the buckets.

My machine is intended to be drawn by from two to six horses or oxen,and, when in operation, it is driven along with the wheels resting uponeither side of the proposed ditch, and the cutting-wheel is let down,and what it scoopsvup is elevated and dropped upon the carrier, by whichit is conveyed to one side and deposited upon the embankment. Thismachine is supported uponfour wheels, the principal weight being uponthe two hind wheels A A, secured to an axle, a, which lies crosswise ofthe main frame B, and is held in position by bearings in the timbers bb. To

- these timbers are secured straps c, that move freely over the sidepieces of frame B. To the axle a is secured a wheel, C, over whichpasses a band, D, which communicates motion, through a similar wheel, d,and shaft E, to the cutting-wheel. One side of this wheel is a circulardisk, F, to which is secured the hub H. The other side of this wheel, I,is of the same outside diameter and about the same thickness, with acircular piece taken out of the center, of suflicient diameter to leavethe metal from periphery to said opening about ten inches in Width. Tothese two pieces are riveted the sides of the buckets or scoops c, thebottoms f of which are bent over and back, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 ofthe drawing. The earth is elevated and deposited by these buckets uponthe apron or carrier J. This carrier receives motion from a bandwheel,K, over which, and a smaller one, L, passes the band g. The wheel L issecured near one end of shaft h, near the other end of which is secureda bevel-wheel, i, the teeth of which engage with those of pinion j, thatis secured to roller-shaft 7c, by which the apron J is driven in thedirection indicated by the arrow. The side pieces that support thiscarrier and the shaft E are secured to a frame, M, that moves freely upor down in guides formed in the uprights N, and the said frame may beraised or lowered by turning the screws m. The pieces O O connect axle awith shaft E, and when the frame M, which supports the said shaft, israised or lowered, the said axle moves in a corresponding direction,which keeps the bands D and g always at the same tension. I is a thinpiece of iron, bent to form a seat for the driver, and also to act as aguard to prevent the earth that may adhere to the buckets from droppingupon the same as the wheel revolves. The depending cutters Q loosen theearth and throw it toward the center from each side, when it may easilybe scraped and carried up by the buckets c. u is a piece of metal ofsuitable length and thickness, upon the front side of which are marksindicating inches and feet. This said piece is secured to the movableframe M, and, as the same is lowered and the cutterwheel goes down inthe ditch, the depth is indieztted by the pointer. o o is simply@ guideriveted or otherwise secured, as herein set i to keep the sinne in anupright position. forth.

Having thus described my invention, what I 3. The bar u and the pegs 0o', that keep 1t eiaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters in anupright posii ion, eonstrueted and arlritent, isranged substantially asand for the purpose 1. The combination of the movable frame herein setforth. M with the carrier J, as herein shown and ANDREW M. NELSON.described. Vitnesses 2. A ditching-Wheel consisting of the disks SYDNEYBROOKS, l

F and I, having buckets of the forni shown, Z. P. DEDERIOK.

